Whenever we meet with a person who rises above the level of his or her contemporaries and is noted for larger qualities of mind or heart, we become curious to know how far these qualities may be inherited from equally distinguished ancestors. In connection with the rare woman whose life-work is depicted in these pages we are struck with an interesting coincidence. Col. John Pierce was her brother and a prominent figure in the Revolution, a friend of General Washington, and paymaster of the army at Ticonderoga. John Pierce, of Litchfield, Connecticut, was her father. Again, his father was John Pierce, of Wethersfield, Connecticut. Now, Wethersfield was settled from Watertown, Massachusetts, by men who had become dissatisfied with the conduct of the Massachusetts Bay Company, and here again we find a line of John Pierces starting in Watertown and bringing up in Wethersfield. The first one, John Pierce, or _Pers_, was made freeman of Watertown in 1638, is spoken of as “a man of good estate who projected the settlements of Sudbury and Lancaster.” Just before this we find in England another John Pierce, to whom a patent was granted by the Crown, February 20, 1620, which is the patent upon which the Plymouth Company settled after finding that they had landed and were forced to settle further north than the tract to which their patent from the South Virginia Company entitled them. Now, although unable exactly to connect all these different John Pierces, namely,— John Pierce, England, patentee, 1620. John Pierce,[1] Watertown, freeman, 1638. John Pierce, his son, lived in Boston, Woburn, Mass., and Wethersfield. Last mention in Woburn, 1649. John Pierce, his son, born 1644, moved to Wethersfield, then to Southbury, d. 1731. John Pierce, his son, b. 1683, moved to South Britain, Conn. John Pierce, of Wethersfield, there from 1742 to 1764, will proved 1774. John Pierce, of Litchfield, his son, born 1733. Col. John Pierce, brother of Sarah Pierce,— the names being identical even to the spelling, it does not need a vivid imagination to suppose that their blood may have flowed in the veins of Sarah Pierce, our heroine, or that she drew her inspiration from, and shared the qualities of the family of whom Gen. E. W. Pierce wrote: “Indomitable perseverance is also a trait that marks their character in every department of life and has generally crowned their efforts with ultimate success, though attained after repeated and mortifying failures.” And again, among the armorial bearings of the family is a dove with an olive branch and the motto, “Dixit et fecit,” “He said and he did.” The history of the family in this country fills numerous volumes, including the variations of the name, such as Pierce, Peirce, Pearce, Pearse, etc.